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Women's Hoops Nuggets

---The Bearcats travel to the nation's capital tomorrow to face No. 17/19 Georgetown at 3 p.m. The Hoyas will be the fourth ranked opponent Cincinnati has faced in the past six games. The Cats lead the all-time series 5-2.

---Senior guard Shareese Ulis is making the most of her final year in the Queen City. Her 14.6 games per contest ranks in the top ten of the Big East. Ulis has drilled at least one 3-pointer in 23 consecutive games dating back to last March. She also dishes out a team-high 3 assists a game and is averaging a league-high 34.9 minutes.

---Freshman Kayla Cook has been reliable in her rookie year. The ESPN Top 100 recruit has started every contest and is second on the team in minutes. She is scoring a steady eight points a game. Cook had arguably her best half of the season when she scored 10 in the opening period against UConn last Saturday, showing no fear against the No. 2 team in the nation.

---When senior guard Shelly Bellman was granted her sixth year of eligibility after two severe knee injuries, it made for a compelling story. The News Record wrote a feature on her. CBS Sports has a clip on her. What is even more remarkable about her comeback; she has started the last 17 games, pulled down her 500th rebound against Dayton Dec. 3, 2010 and is on pace to hit 1,000-career points, needing 68 more.

---Head coach Jamelle Elliott has to be feeling a lot of nostalgia lately. She faced her former coach and Hall of Famer Geno Auriemma last Saturday and tomorrow will be her first homecoming as a head coach in Washington, D.C. The East Coast native graduated from H.D. Woodson High School. I included the rest Elliott's quotes from my feature from last week instead of letting them go to waste.Elliott's comments on being in the visitor's locker room for
the first time at UConn.

"Last year was the biggest emotional moment -- the first
time I had to compete against them at UConn," Elliott said. "Now,
they're going to come in here and try to kick our butt."

Elliott on the opportunity that arose after earning her
degree.

"Back when I graduated there wasn't a WNBA there was an ABL.
That was a league we weren't sure if it was going to last. "I took advantage of
my opportunity to go to grad school. Right after grad school he asked me to be
a part of his staff."

Elliot's humility about suiting up for every UConn game and
practice.

"I was blessed, I was fortunate. God willing I didn't have
any knee surgeries or types of injuries that would keep me out. How that
happened, I just think that was God. I was fortunate enough to go to practice
every day healthy. You always had aches and pains. You always felt tired but it
never stopped me from going to practice or playing in games."

Elliot on what it was like playing for a Hall of Fame coach.

"I took my lumps my freshman year. I had to learn how to
work, learn how to get into to shape and achieve a certain level all the time.
He didn't take anything less than that. Once I became a junior I knew what he
wanted and expected from me. I was able to communicate that to the freshman and
sophomores. That's kind of how it works [at UConn]. He sets a standard
everybody tries to meet that standard. Some people get it sooner than others. I
was fortunate as a junior and senior to relay it to the younger guys."

Elliott shares the words of wisdom from her former coach
upon getting the Cincinnati job.

"[Auriemma] knows the type of person I am. I want to be
great all the time. I want to be great today. I have very little patience. [His
advice of doing one thing right every day] really put things into perspective
for me, as far as what I'm inheriting and the rebuilding process."

Elliott on her apprenticeship working under Auriemma.

"I was there for 12 years as an assistant. Probably the
first seven or eight years I was still learning. I started to get the buzz
after year eight or nine trying to test the waters. Every year he gave me more
and more responsibilities, which was great."

---Check back tomorrow night for a recap of the Bearcats' contest against the Hoyas.